Why would a successful journalist and state government public relations officer drop everything to risk her life as a 'human shield' against the American bombs dropping on Baghdad?
For Donna Mulhearn, it was the culmination of a long personal pilgrimage to find meaning in her life. The turning point came when she heard a radio interview in early 2003 with Ken O’Keefe, a former US marine turned peace activist, who called on western volunteers to go to Baghdad to act as human shields in an effort to stop the impending war.
Donna Mulhearn, who had been press secretary to NSW Labor MP John Aquilina, joined the group immediately.
As the most high profile of several Australian human shields who went to Iraq, her actions polarised opinion in this country. On talkback radio she was described as naïve or as a traitor to Australia, while others regarded her as hero.
Since the bombing of Baghdad in April 2003, Donna Mulhearn has returned twice to Iraq to do humanitarian and peace work.
Donna’s peace activities come largely out of her deep radical Christian commitment to the way of Jesus as peacemaker.
